Welcome ...

This page is for the parents, to keep up to date with any changes, a quick portal to any important documents which need attention and a place where you can share your concerns with the committee.

Signing on form

Club Registration form - Click here (Opens Google Form)

PLEASE NOTE - FOR 2023/34 Season - Player Headshots & Proofs of ID required for New U7s Teams only.

Club Handbook

To access the 2023/24 Season Club Handbook click here!

Safeguarding Policy

We, the Club, believe that Good Practice is as follows:

The welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility, particularly when it comes to protecting children:

Everyone in Southbrook FC – administrator, Club official, coach, parent, friend, children themselves, everyone – can help. Children and young people have a lot to gain from playing football. Their natural sense of fun and spontaneity can blossom in positive sporting environments. Football provides an excellent opportunity for children to learn new skills, become more confident and maximise their own unique potential.

The Club will place the needs of the child first and winning and competition second.

The underlying principles with respect to Child Protection are that:

• The child’s welfare is the first consideration.

• All children, regardless of age, any disability they have, gender, racial origin, religious belief and sexual identity have a right to be protected from abuse.

• Children and young people must be treated with integrity and respect.

• Children and young peoples’ programmes and competitions will be relevant to their ages and stages of development.

We are committed to the current FA and Government rules and guidelines and current practices within the Child Protection agenda.

The Club:

Aims to create an enjoyable environment, where young people have the right to be safe, secure and free from threat.
Acknowledges that young people have the right to be treated with respect and for their concerns to be listened to and acted upon.
Will aim to ensure that junior members have specific programmes designated for them, with adequate supervision.
Is committed to ensuring that all helpers, whatever their role, complete a Club Registration Form, sign a Code of Conduct and complete Disclosure Application (if in a childcare / adult at risk role) and a Self-Declaration Form in relation to Child Protection.

Will provide clear, comprehensive, easily understood procedures for dealing with:

1. Emotional abuse

2. Physical injury

3. Physical neglect

4. Sexual abuse

These categories are not mutually exclusive, for example, a child experiencing physical abuse is undoubtedly experiencing emotional abuse as well. Although the physical and behavioural signs listed may be symptomatic of abuse, they may not always be an indicator and, conversely, children experiencing abuse may not demonstrate any of these signs.

Child abuse is often difficult to recognise; hence it is not the responsibility of anyone involved to decide whether a child has been abused, this is the role of trained professionals as noted previously, but we as a club have a duty of care to investigate at appropriate levels and report suspected abuse where necessary.

Other forms of abuse that in the first instance may seem not even related to the child, but can in the end, constitute emotional abuse or even neglect to that child through poor communication at club level/parent, or vice versa in which a child’s welfare may not have been appropriately considered as to the outcome of that action to that child.

To help avoid the above, the club encourages Parent/Players/Coaches/Treasurers and Managers to apply respectful, consistent communication and apply good practices in line with club polices.

In the event of any break down, the child welfare officer’s involvement at this point is requested, and the club respectfully request’s appropriate time to be given to fully understand when how, and why any problem/misunderstanding came about to seek an appropriate resolve. Thus, in effect, all concerned will be creating a conducive framework that is placing the child’s welfare first allowing correctional procedures to take place, record details to be made for improvement and training purposes as encouraged by FA’s good practice guidelines.

For any concerns please contact our Child Welfare Officer, Kate Fielden

Mob: 07532088371. southbrookcwo@gmail.com

Club Anti Bullying Policy

Statement of Intent

Southbrook Youth Football club are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of our members so they can participate in football in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our club. If bullying does occur, all club members or parents should be able to tell someone and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. It is the expectation of the club that anyone who is aware of bullying taking place informs the Club Child Welfare Officer or any other committee member. Our club is committed to playing its part in teaching players to treat others with respect.

What is Bullying?

Bullying is usually defined as the repeated behaviour of individuals with the intention of hurting another person either physically or emotionally. It is often aimed at certain people because of their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation or any other aspect such as appearance or disability.

Bullying can be:

Emotional - being unfriendly, excluding (emotionally and physically) sending hurtful text messages, tormenting, (e.g., hiding football boots/shin guards, threatening gestures)
Physical - pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence.
Sexual - unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments
Discrimination – racial taunts, graffiti, gestures, homophobic comments, jokes about disabled people, sexist comments
Verbal name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing.

Cyberbullying

This is when a person uses technology i.e., mobile phones or the internet (social networking sites, chat rooms, instant messenger, tweets), to deliberately upset someone. Bullies often feel anonymous and ‘distanced’ from the incident when it takes place online and ‘bystanders can easily become bullies themselves by forwarding the information on. There is a growing trend for bullying to occur online or via texts – bullies no longer rely on being physically near to the young person.

Trolling: This is the name given to posting deliberately offensive comments on people's social media pages aimed at causing upset and distress. This type of behaviour could result in legal action.

Our Commitment

Southbrook Youth Football Club is committed to ensuring our websites and/ or social networking pages are being used appropriately and any online bullying will be dealt with swiftly and appropriately in line with procedures detailed in this policy. We will deal with all reported incidents of bullying promptly and effectively following the procedures outlined in this policy. No one deserves to be a victim of bullying, and everybody has the right to be treated with respect.

Club Procedure

Upon receipt of a reported incidence of bullying the club will follow the following procedure:

The parents of those involved will be informed and asked to attend a meeting to discuss the issue.
If necessary and appropriate, the police will be consulted.
The bullying issue will be investigated fully, and action will be taken to try and mediate the situation. This is likely to be a reconciliation involving all parties.
If mediation/reconciliation fails and the bullying is seen to continue, then the club will initiate disciplinary action.
Disciplinary action will involve the individual(s) being issued with a warning and being issued with a notice of further action if the bullying continues. Further action is likely to be temporary or permanent suspension form the club.
The situation will be monitored by the club committee for a given period to ensure bullying is not continuing or being repeated.
All coaches involved with the individuals concerned will be made aware of the concerns and the outcome of the process.

In the event the report of bullying involves an adult bullying anyone under the age of 18:

The County Welfare Officer will be informed and advise sought on whether to involve the FA Safeguarding Team
If the allegation is made against a team manager or official The FA’s Safeguarding Children Education Programme maybe recommended
Serious cases may be referred to the police and/or Children’s Social care.
Subsequent disciplinary action may result in temporary or permanent suspension from the club.

For any concerns please contact Child Welfare Officer; Kate Fielden

Phone - 07532088371 Email - Southbrookcwo@gmail.com

This policy is based on guidance provided to schools by KIDSCAPE. KIDSCAPE is a voluntary organisation committed to help prevent child bullying. KIDSCAPE can be contacted on 0207 730 3300 or you can access their website via www.kidscape.org.uk

The following websites are designed to give advice and guidance to parents and children who are dealing with bullying:

Guidance for parents/carers

www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/

www.stonewall.org.uk

www.bullying.co.uk

Guidance for young people

www.youngstonewall.org.uk/

www.childline.org.uk

Complaints Procedure

If you may have a complaint or concern, it must be discussed with your team Manager or Coach direct.

Please Note: all members are happy for you to contact them using the details supplied within this handbook however, please respect their personal time.

Your team Manager/Coach may like to use one of our complaints & concerns forms to log the conversation and agree on a way forward to rectify the issue raised. All complaints & concern forms may be logged with the CWO/Club Secretary for club record use only.

A team Manager/Coach may arrange to meet up with a player/parent to discuss a complaint or concern, both Manager/Coach should where possible attend these meetings together. In the event either the Manager or Coach cannot make this meeting a committee member may stand in. This meeting will be arranged and confirmed in advance to the mutual benefit of all, if within the Youth section a parent/guardian must be always present. Written/typed notes, bullet pointing the reason for meeting, what was discussed and progression with this may be taken and confirmed by the parent/guardian before leaving.

If you are still unhappy with the way your team Manager/Coach has dealt with your complaint or concern please contact the Club Chairman or Secretary, again they may use the complaint & concerns form to help rectify the issue raised.

If your complaint or concern is a child welfare issue, please contact our child welfare officer direct and as soon as possible.